This invention relates generally to building block assemblies and, more particularly, to building block assemblies comprising a plurality of prismatic building blocks having face portions in which grooves are formed and a plurality of connecting elements for interconnecting the building blocks adapted to be received within the grooves.
It is well known that children enjoy playing with building blocks and many building block assemblies are presently known and available which include a plurality of building blocks and associated connecting elements for interconnecting the same. More particularly, building block assemblies are known which include building blocks in which grooves are formed in the face portions thereof and which are interconnected to each other by means of connecting elements comprising substantially planar, or right-angle portions, whose transverse dimension is essentially equal to the width of the grooves of the building blocks. Thus, interlocking of the building blocks is accomplished by means of frictional engagement or through compression of the connecting elements and/or the building block. Examples of such conventional building block assemblies are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,754, published July 23, 1973 and July 6, 1978 respectively, German Patent Publications 2,203,029 and 2,658,931, German Pat. No. 136,077 published in 1901 and Swiss Pat. No. 388,158, published June 16, 1965.
Several disadvantages, however, are inherent in the conventional building block assemblies described above. More particularly, the connecting elements tend to loosen from the grooves in which they are received in some cases and in other cases where a tight fit of the connecting elements in their associated grooves is present, it frequently is the case that a child will not have sufficient strength to effect engagement or disengagement of the connecting elements and associated building blocks.
Other disadvantages of conventional building block assemblies are that the building blocks are frequently too small to allow for use by small children and that it is frequently difficult to insert the connecting elements into the receiving grooves formed in the building blocks. Further, many conventional building block assemblies must be formed entirely of plastic material and sometimes include an overly diverse number of building components of different configurations which are limited with respect to the manner in which they can be joined. Such building block assemblies generally are relatively expensive in manufacture.